Are those "Through the Looking Glass" movie background quotes anyhow related to Lewis Carroll?
In the movie Alice Through the Looking Glass in mental institution scene (around 1:10:10) there are two quotes at the back wall. These two quotes fit greatly to the scene and bridge the underline topics of Alice´s sanity and personal aspirations in the movie - obedience to traditions of times and interpretation of Alice´s actions. But I wonder, are those somehow related to Lewis Carroll works - either with "Through the Looking Glass" book or other literary works-writings?
The ship that will not obey the helm will have to obey the rocks
Sometimes you need to be cruel to be kind
I do not know the source of first quote, all I found, that it is an old English proverb. The second quote, as quite famous, can be dated back to Shakespeare "Hamlet" (Act 3, scene 4, lines 173-176). "I must be cruel only to be kind". What I am looking is Lewis Carroll´s reference, own interpretation or usage of them in his writings. Or it simply was directors choice to add those quotes to help with interpretation of movie sub-themes.
Best Answer
While I haven't seen this particular movie, I am a big fan of the original stories, as well as other media adaptations.
I did a full text search of the original two books by Lewis Carroll, 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and 'Through the Looking-Glass' I searched for both quotes, individual words, and a number of synonyms, and found nothing.
My gut feeling: while I suppose the first quote could have fitted in the original stories, the second one feels really off.
I have, however, found something similar to the second quote in one of my favourite adaptations: 'Alice: Madness Returns', a video game from 2011. The plot in that game (and in the prequel from 2000) involves Alice having mental problems due to traumatic events, and consequently being put in a mental institution. As this happens in the 19th century, this is framed in quite a horrific manner.
During a flashback, one of the nurses (nurse Witless) is saying "'Cruel to be kind', that's my technique as they say, but she's as mad as a hatter, poor dearie!"
Based on the picture in the original question, I'm thinking the film makers have been inspired by the general motif of the video game, and have therefore used the second quote.
Pictures about "Are those "Through the Looking Glass" movie background quotes anyhow related to Lewis Carroll?"
What inspired Lewis Carroll to write through the looking glass?
Through the Looking-Glass, the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, was first published in 1871; according to Alice Liddell, the young girl who inspired Lewis Carroll to write the Alice books, Through the Looking-Glass had its origins in the tales about the game of chess that Carroll (real name Charles Lutwidge ...What inspired Alice through the looking glass?
Lewis Carroll Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, inspired by Alice Liddell, the daughter of the Dean of Christ Church in Oxford, was published in 1865, followed by Through the Looking-Glass in 1871.What does the looking glass represent?
The phrase \u201cThrough the Looking Glass, \u201das used in literature by world renowned author Lewis Carroll, can be viewed as a metaphor for any time the world suddenly appears unfamiliar, almost as if things were turned upside down \u2013 similar to looking out from inside the mirror to find a world both recognizable and yet ...What did Alice say when she went through the looking glass?
'I don't quite know yet,' Alice said very gently. 'I should like to look all round me first, if I might. ' 'You may look in front of you, and on both sides, if you like,' said the Sheep; 'but you can't look all round you \u2014 unless you've got eyes at the back of your head.What's so great about Lewis Carroll?
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Sebastiaan Stam, Aleksandar Pasaric, Brett Sayles, Brett Sayles